Garrett Crochet weaves a gem with 13 strikeouts and White Sox top Mariners 3-2 in 10 innings

SEATTLE (AP) — Garrett Crochet struck out a career-high 13 over seven dominant innings, Andrew Vaughn homered and drove in the tiebreaking run in the 10th, and the Chicago White Sox beat the Seattle Mariners 3-2 on Thursday night.

Chicago avoided being swept in the four-game series, but needed extra innings after Seattle star Julio Rodríguez tied it at 2 in the bottom of the ninth with a solo homer off closer Michael Kopech. Rodríguez laid off a couple of high fastballs from Kopech (2-6) and drove a 3-1 pitch to right-center for his sixth home run.

Andrés Muñoz (2-3) pitched the 10th for Seattle, just his second outing since June 4 when lower back issues popped up. He gave up a one-out single to Nicky Lopez that sent automatic runner Korey Lee from second base to third. Lee scored on Vaughn’s groundout, a chopper to third.

Tanner Banks worked a perfect inning for his second save.

For most of the night, Crochet was the story. Relying almost entirely on his fastball and cutter, the 24-year-old lefty allowed two hits and struck out double-digit batters for the third time in his last four starts. During that four-game span, Crochet has allowed five earned runs and struck out 42.

Crochet’s 13 strikeouts were the most by a White Sox pitcher since Lance Lynn whiffed 16 also against Seattle on June 18, 2023. His one big mistake came in the fifth when rookie Tyler Locklear golfed a changeup out to left field for his first career home run.

It was the only changeup Crochet threw in his 102 pitches, according to MLB Statcast data.

Seattle starter Emerson Hancock tossed a career-high seven innings and allowed six hits, but the White Sox capitalized on the two costly mistakes he made to two of their most dangerous hitters.

Vaughn hit his eighth homer with one out in the third. Three pitches later, Luis Robert Jr. went deep for the second straight night. Robert had a pinch-hit homer in the ninth inning on Wednesday that tied the game at 1 before Seattle won in extra innings.

Hancock made a spot start to give the rest of Seattle’s rotation an extra day of rest.

ROSTER UPDATES

White Sox: OF Eloy Jiménez is set to begin a rehab assignment in the Arizona Complex League. Jiménez has been out since May 21 with a hamstring injury.

Mariners: Dylan Moore was reinstated from the paternity list. RHP Brett de Geus and INF Leo Rivas were optioned to Triple-A Tacoma.

UP NEXT

White Sox: RHP Chris Flexen (2-5, 5.06 ERA) will start the opener of a three-game series in Arizona. Flexen has a 3.00 ERA and opponents are hitting .176 over his last three starts.

Mariners: After an extra day of rest, RHP Luis Castillo (5-7, 3.35 ERA) will start Friday’s series opener vs. Texas. Castillo allowed two runs over six innings in a victory against the Rangers on April 25.

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